Free Will and Determinism debate

Determinism

The belief that behaviour is controlled by external or internal factors acting upon the individual and beyond their control. there are 3 types of determinism

Biological determinism

view that behaviour is always caused by internal biological forces beyond our control - influence of genes

Environmental determinism

Belief that behaviour is caused by previous experience through classical and operant conditioning - we have no control over

Psychic determination

biological drives and unconscious conflicts repressed in childhood determine behaviour

Free will

Each individual has the power to make choices about thier behaviour without being determined by internal and external forces beyond their control. common feature of humanistic approach

Hard determinism

view that behaviour can be predictied according to the action of internal and external forces beyond our control, so there can be no free will

Soft determinism

version of determinism that allows a element of free will - suggests all events, including human behaviour has a cause.

Free will vs determinism debate

psychologists diagreee over the extent to which our behaviour is DETERMINED by external forces or whether we have FREE WILL and conscious choice

The importance of scientific research

scientific research is based on the belief that all events have a cause

Moral responsibility

the basis that an individual is in charge of their own actions

Evaluation of determinism

Simplifies human behaviour

Determist approach used to try justify behaviour for criminals - view is inconsistent with the legal system

Evaluation of free will

strong arugment for - internal locus of control - more mentally helathy than those with external locus of control